Merino Wool
Our Merino:
For those in the know, our Merino wool is 200 to 210gm/m2 which is a great weight for Merino because it provides the best combination of warmth, comfort, durability and shrink resistance. Our merino will shrink to a max of @2% even if it is put in the drier. But don't cook your Merino! because that can weaken it over time. Merino comes out of the spin cycle almost dry and so tumble under low heat or, if you have to dry in with high heat at the laundromat, bring it out of the dryer earlier because it will dry a lot quicker than your jeans or other cottons. Like the other major Merino wool brands our merino is Superwashed for softness and shrink resistance. Here is some more information on what makes Merino wool the premier performance material, naturally:
Superfine and Soft Wool:
Merino Wool is the finest wool in the world and it come from a special sheep, also called Merino. Each Merino sheep creates about 5 garments a year. There are 60,000 follicles per square inch of skin, producing over 100 million individual fibers in each fleece. Join the fibers from 5 Merinos end to end and you can tie a bow around the world.
Merino is much finer than traditional wool, and is technically much more complex than synthetics. Compared to traditional wool the merino fiber is a fraction of the diameter which helps give Merino it's softer feel. The large scales on traditional wool act like barbs against sensitive skin.
Synthetic fibers such as polypropylene or polyester have a much simpler structure than a merino fiber. They are made from melting, extruding and cutting a plastic-like petrochemical. The resulting fiber can't breathe, absorb or release moisture. When knitted into fabric they are limited to one-way moisture movement with limited breathability.
Active Wear:
Merino has the ability to absorb and release moisture which cools or warms the body thus regulating temperature. You‘ll warm up quickly but not overheat due to the exceptional breathability of the fabric. Tiny overlapping scales case the fiber. They're hydrophobic (water resistant), like tiles on a roof, so the fabric sheds water.
Merino is the most hydrophillic of all fibers and can absorb and release 10x more moisture than synthetics. Each fiber can absorb up to one third of its own weight in moisture without feeling clammy or wet to touch. Your merino garment can then release this moisture into the atmosphere to keep you feeling warm and dry.
Odor Control (natural):
Merino also resists the growth of bacteria that causes body odor because it is so efficient at absorbing and releasing moisture there is less surface moisture to feed the bacteria. Merino Wool doesn't have a smooth surface like synthetics and odor causing bacteria love to grow on a smooth surface. That's why you can wear Merino wool longer and harder without having a problem with body odor. To do the same with synthetics you have to give the synthetics a chemical coating, which can also be absorbed into your own body.
Go natural! Chose Merino Wool.